What are the ramifications if caught above the road closure on a bike? I've organised and already booked my flight for a three week riding holiday CA / CO and AZ , but only recently discovered the road is closed labor day weekend. I will be in CO mid September...

I believe "open" or "closed" refers to *motor* vehicles. This is from a telephone conversation I had a couple years ago with the Cripple Creek Ranger Station. They can be reached at: 303-567-3000 (8:00am to 4:30pm MDT)

I've seen video of guys riding around snowbanks and sometimes wading *through* snow that could not be avoided, when the road was closed to motor vehicles. Here is an example; Note he has the whole road to himself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp2tWEv7WNg

In the past even during open season, there have been occasional weekdays when it was closed to everyone because they were doing road repair. And trust me, that road *needs* repairs!

BTW Considering the idiotic behaviour I've seen from cagers on that road, I would *prefer* dealing with snowbanks.

Yeah, a buddy of mine biked Mt. Evans last year after it closed to motor vehicles after Labor Day. A ranger told him it was still open to bikes, etc., but that you're on your own.

Biking Mt. Evans was both a fantastic and nerve-wracking experience. The camaraderie among cyclists is great, lots to see, and the incredulity of the tourists is funny. But the road and traffic really suck: "football"-size potholes you have to be vigilant for, lots of jarring cracks, no shoulders, no guardrails, and often steep dropoffs. The descent on the east sides of Mt. Warren and Rogers Peak had all that, plus often huge SUVs like Escalades trying to drive by one another on the narrow road.

Bumping this as I've been told that, as of last year, Pike's Peak is open to bicycles year round.

"...in Las Vegas where -the electric bills are staggering -the decor hog wild -and the entertainment saccharine -what a golden age -what a time of right and reason -the consumer's king -and unhappiness is treason..."

Yes. We rode it in August starting at the park in Manitou. Not the hardest ride I have done but certainly the hardest single climb I have done........8000 ft in 24 miles with a lot of 10+ percent miles between 10 and 14000.

About half way up I Glen Cove for bathroom, water, food, drink. We had a perfect day of weather.

I rode Mt Evans from Idaho Springs on the 13th September. At the Echo Lake turnoff there was a road grader coming down after having just cleared a landslide higher. Spoke with the driver who was about to lock this lower gate as they were needed elsewhere due to the floods; he said I could continue but would be on my own. Continued up to be passed by a ranger just before the Summit Lake gate that is locked on the Labor day weekend. I stopped to briefly speak with the ranger who confirmed that I was okay to continue, so I climbed under the gate and continued to the top.

Other than the ranger, I had no other vehicles on the road back down to Echo Lake; so I could take the whole road on the descent and miss all the potholes!

During my three week holiday I rode in Colorado as well as California and Arizona, I ticked off the following during my 6 rides in CO:

Grand Mesa (both sides starting Grand Junction side).

Independence pass (both sides starting Aspen).

Copper Triangle clockwise from Leadville

Trail ridge rd (both sides from Grand Lake. This happened to be the day of the Front Range floods when this was the only road out of Estes Park! ).

Mt Evans.

Pikes Peak

Of these CO rides Pikes Peak was by far the hardest. It is now open to bikes year round and definitely worth riding... It is only a few metres lower than Mt Evans, but with far steeper gradients towards the top. Climbing 10.6% gradient with an estimated 72% of sea level FTP is tough!http://www.brentacol.com/gradient_pics/pikes.png

Mt Evans would be second due to its length, but a much milder gradient meant it was easier to keep a constant tempo.